Spelunky!

[clyde]

I love how Nick embraces it, not as a teaching-moment, but as an opportunity to question his understanding of all things.

That was pretty great.

Watching that specific video really expresses the concept explained in the quotation posted earlier in the thread:

"Spelunky looks like a game of execution, but it's really a game about information and decision making. How good are you at looking at a situation and understanding what it means? You can't memorize, and you can't take time to carefully analyze, you must rely on your literacy of the system..."

[Latrine]

Died on Yama again on today's challenge, but it was a much better run. 510k gold, ghosted vaults on the ice caves and temple. I was struggling with low health again and I almost had the sucker but I think I destroyed one too many cover blocks up top and he just spit a fireman on top of me. I was so proud too after three goddamn vampires jumped at me from the ceiling and I managed to avoid the triple threat of dying the same way as yesterday. Also the funny thing is I think that Yama died after I did due to a spike ball. I guess I just need to get better at avoiding stupid damage in hell and handling Yama.

[sclpls]

Wow, Nick is just terrible. I guess he should go back to his baby games where he is a baby. That's probably what he should do.

[Dewar]

Hmm, Youtube having time stamps kinda ruins it.

[Irishjohn]

Hmm, Youtube having time stamps kinda ruins it.

 

I don't know, I thought the same thing before watching it, but it was pretty good.

 

I want to buy this game, because I am a masochist.

[Dewar]

I'm kinda thinking about it, but I never really got into the other masochistic games like Super Meat Boy or Rogue.

[clyde]

Spelunky has more of a puzzle element than a dexterity requirement. It's about gauging the situation and deciding what to risk and for what. Of course there is some dexterity element that you gain skill in as you play, but it is not the interesting portion of the game. The interesting portion is making bad decisions, fast.

Put it this way, Nick should never have tried to jump over there, it wasn't that he pressed the button at the wrong time.

 

Edit: Or, he could have thrown that rock at the bones to make sure it didn't animate.

[Gormongous]

Spelunky has more of a puzzle element than a dexterity requirement. It's about gauging the situation and deciding what to risk and for what. Of course there is some dexterity element that you gain skill in as you play, but it is not the interesting portion of the game. The interesting portion is making bad decisions, fast.

Put it this way, Nick should never have tried to jump over there, it wasn't that he pressed the button at the wrong time.

 

Edit: Or, he could have thrown that rock at the bones to make sure it didn't animate.

 

Yeah, I think that Nick has an impulsive streak that's rewarded in some hyper-punishing games (I'm thinking Super Meat Boy or Hotline Miami) but not in Spelunky. I haven't played it myself, but it seems like you can't brute-force a plan that "feels" right in it like you can in the other games I mentioned.

[SecretAsianMan]

Yeah, I think that Nick has an impulsive streak that's rewarded in some hyper-punishing games (I'm thinking Super Meat Boy or Hotline Miami) but not in Spelunky. I haven't played it myself, but it seems like you can't brute-force a plan that "feels" right in it like you can in the other games I mentioned.

 

That definitely appears to be the case.  I haven't played the current version either (only the original) but watching Nick's run and then watching Killingsworth play the exact same map, you can the slow and steady method works much better.  Most of his time is spent hanging from ropes and ledges observing the surroundings and waiting for the perfect moment to throw a bomb or rock.  Reflexes alone are not enough to get you very far.

[sclpls]

As someone that has played a lot of Spelunky I can say your intuitions are correct. Getting better at Spelunky is the same as with a traditional roguelike where your ability to excel at the game comes from understanding all the different systems and secrets of the game. The game tricks the player since it has that real-time platformer element, so it creates the impression that twitch reflexes will help get you out of tight spots, but situational awareness is much more important. When reflexes save the day that is more like dumb luck.

[sclpls]

And to further back that up, the designer of the game, Derek Yu, said he can win the game about 1 out of 3 times even though he isn't a particularly amazing player or anything.

[clyde]

I had such a great game today. I usually don't kill the shop-keeper, but my circumstances necessitated it in the Black-Market. I had 2 hearts and the bottom floor of the Black-Market had a particular combination of boomerang- guy and tiki-statue that would have been death. Later in the jungle I was doing some great stuff, like putting my damsel in a pocket in order to open up the area above the vengeful shop-keeper waiting for me at the door. I just waited for him to jump around enough that he hit the tiki or the spikes. Stuff like that. I felt like a boss.

Of course, I died on the mothership, but... I died like a boss.

[sclpls]

Yeah, when you have the capability to handle multiple angry shopkeepers... that's a really good feeling.

[Irishjohn]

Just caved and got the game. Tried a daily challenge before taking the tutorial and ended up running past the exit to jump into spikes. It was quite funny. I might try to add some people, nobody on my Steam list is playing the game.

[dibs]

Just caved and got the game. Tried a daily challenge before taking the tutorial and ended up running past the exit to jump into spikes. It was quite funny. I might try to add some people, nobody on my Steam list is playing the game.

I've been playing for two months and I died on the spikes around 30s from the entrance the other day. Winner daily challenge.

[clyde]

I've been convincing myself everyday, that I don't need to buy Spelunky on an additional platform. I wonder if I'm missing out though.

On the Xbox, I typically only do one run a day, but it isn't generated from a shared seed. I have no plans to upload videos of me playing, and I wonder how much I would watch of others after I attempt the deal myself.

Fuck it. The potential that we may discuss the same anonamolous world-states on this forum is worth the gamble. I'm in.

Should I spoiler-tag how I die?

If anyone wants to add me, I'm signalflow.

[clyde]

Man that felt fresh. The Daily-challenge feels like betting money.

There were some particularly brutal situations in the caves. The first area
on the left encouraged me to use three of my bombs immediately. Then
the arrow trap that was on ground-level messed me up. I eventually died by
jumping up onto the alter to sacrifice my damsel. There was an arrow-trap just
above it, and I was too distracted by the spitting snake to notice.

 

Edit: after watching Chris's play-through, it was interesting to see that the arrow-trap on ground level that had given me trouble wasn't there. I think it was the result of me taking an idol and the boulder creating that path. Or maybe he took an idol I didn't and it destroyed the arrow-trap that gave me trouble. Either way, I'm glad to have a new way to appreciate the game and a new way to appreciate the Idle Thumbs crew. Watching them play through the levels I just attempted is novel.

 

Oh wow, Nick's run today was a hilarious mixture of error and innovation. Skip to 4:50 if you want to hurry to the good stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mqQmSvCULtY

 

[Irishjohn]

"I am the master of Spelunky!"

 

And that is why I am glad I bought this game.

[Professor Video Games]

h wow, Nick's run today was a hilarious mixture of error and innovation. Skip to 4:50 if you want to hurry to the good stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mqQmSvCULtY

 

 

"Did I just suddenly get good at this game?"

 

*Dies 30 seconds later*

[sclpls]

It's been pretty rad watching people progressively get better at this game.

[sclpls]

Man, Chris's first effort at the temple was like way better than anything I've ever done.

[clyde]

Man, Chris's first effort at the temple was like way better than anything I've ever done.

I still have no understanding of how the sceptre works. Last night, I killed myself trying to take out an angry shopkeeper with it. It picked up a barbarian and came at me.

[toblix]

Is there a secret Idle Thumbs club of Spelunky players? Whenever I «finish» a daily challenge, there's one friend on the list.

[clyde]

Is there a secret Idle Thumbs club of Spelunky players? Whenever I «finish» a daily challenge, there's one friend on the list.

If me and Irish John count as a secret club, then "yes".

You'll get an invite from Signalflow today. My run last night was really good, so it'll be a nice chance to brag

[Irishjohn]

If me and Irish John count as a secret club, then "yes".

You'll get an invite from Signalflow today. My run last night was really good, so it'll be a nice chance to brag

I wonder is it worth opening a thread in multiplayer to encourage people?